Monday, February 23, 2009

I have some photos to post of packets I've put together to send Jennifer. These are the vintage slips I've had a bear of a time dyeing since they are synthetic fibers and not all labeled so I have to guess what they are and what dyes to use. Paula Burch has been a great help with the dyeing online resource group she monitors but still these slips "just didn't want to straighten up and dye right"!

I have dyed silk fabrics and ribbons, some dyed laces, collected vintage buttons and jewelry pieces to coordinate with the slips and then I send to Jennifer who is working magic in transforming the slips into wearable "wayward frocks".

We plan to debut these at Art Unraveled Vendor day in Phoenix this year where we'll be teaching a hat making workshop too.

I wish I were a better photographer. I'm working on getting a better set up to take pictures but so far this is the best I can do.

Monday, February 9, 2009

I take a weekly writing class from Laura Davis off and on. It's a wonderful way to express oneself on paper which Laura calls writing practice. A prompt is given then you wild mind write for a set period of time (10-30 minutes) and what comes out of it is amazing. For anyone who lives in the Santa Cruz, CA area and would like to develop a writing practice I urge you to sign up! She's giving an introductory class soon at Cabrillo College. I'm posting a copy of her letter and if you want more info about Laura, other workshops she gives(From Memory to Memoir: A Weekend Workshop for Writers, Friday, March 27th - Sunday, March 29thSan Juan Bautista, California), or on going classes visit her website:

Dear Writers,

Twice a year I offer a one-day Writer's Journey Workshop at Cabrillo College in Aptos. It's a great introduction to the work we do in my ongoing classes--perfect for someone who is not ready or able to commit to a weekly class, but wants to get a feel for the work. It's also an opportunity for someone who lives out of the area to experience a day of writing practice.

If you can help pass the word to anyone in your circle has expressed curiosity or interest in what we do in writing class, I'd appreciate it. I'll be following up this one-day class with a six week introductory series.

All you have to do is forward this email with a sentence or two at the top from you recommending the class.

Here are the details:

One Day Writer's Journey Workshop through Cabrillo Community Education

Date: Saturday, February 28th

Time: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Cost: $78.00

Registration is through Cabrillo Community Education. People can call (831) 479-6331 or register online:

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

I took another trip to Big Sur yesterday and my friend Cece came with. It was so beautiful, must have been 70 degrees. First we stopped at Big Sur Local Color Gallery for me to deliver some more scarves and stoles for them to sell. Business has been slow for them as well as all the shops there. After the big fire this summer things were slow getting back to normal. Now they are bracing for mud slides. Literally, we watched as cranes were unloading big concrete retaining wall pieces and placing them along road sides and buildings. Hillsides that were barren had retaining walls high up on the sides and I have my doubts about how much good that's going to be. Larges wire nets are along the roadsides too. If the rain predicted comes tomorrow and Friday there is a good chance of runoff. Many locals said they are more concerned about the mudslides than they were the fires. I left my wares anyway, signed the waver that were the mud and water to inundate the premises I would not hold the gallery, the building owner, etc. liable.

Cece and I then went to Nepenthe and had lunch and a little shopping in the Phoenix shop and then onto Pfieffer Beach. It was a summer day in February. We walked all up and down the beach, collecting shells and looking out at the ocean. Neither one of us had our camera so all these pictures are of other times I was there.

One interesting fact about Pfieffer Beach is the pink sand, some call it purple and others red. I had been there and gathered it before but only just discovered more about it. The park ranger told me it was garnet. I was skeptical so when I got home I search and sure enough found out more about it. You too can search garnet sand and find all the chemical properties and uses for it but in a nutshell: "this beach has unusual purple sand, from manganese garnet particles washing down the hillside." Here's a picture of it and below that is a picture of a black sand beach in Kauai. I don't know why I'm attracted to these colored sands or why I have collected samples. It something to add to all the shells and coral from all the beaches I've ever been to I guess.

Monday, February 2, 2009

I admit it, I joined Facebook. I did so because an old acquaintance started a group there for high school alumni. Now I have to admit that I have gone back to my hometown of Poplar Bluff, Mo. every five years for my high school reunion. We always have a great turnout and have so much fun reacquainting and well, partying. There are over 700 photos posted now and I have discovered long lost friends. BUT now I am getting asked to be other peoples’ friend who don’t have anything to do with this group. It becomes overwhelming. I am a member of various online Yahoo groups for art, for dyeing, for fashion, for fun and I have a blog (duh?) where I post rantings and so forth and feel each group or site serves a purpose of interacting for a specific reason. Facebook opens up to anyone who you befriend but what if you don’t want that? What if you don't want them to see that picture of you on the mardi gras float? How do you reject someone who wants to be your friend? You certainly don’t want to hurt their feelings but I can’t open my “wall” up to everyone. I feel it’s a certain group I’m interacting with and it would be fairly boring to outsiders, unless they happen to be reporters and I become famous someday, then they might have some dirt on me. LOL! I talked with my son Alex who is a junior at UCSC about Facebook. He found it very amusing but he was happy to show me some ins and outs of it and he commented that Facebook was kinda like high school. HA! I thought, how perfect that I would join to be part of a high school alumni group.

There was a discussion on this at one of the Yahoo groups I’m part of and one person wrote this and I related, so I’m posting it for you to read (she said I could):

OK, I have a confession. I don't have a clue about what Facebook isor what I'm supposed to do now that I have a page.

I am totally flattered that I keep getting invited to become someone'sfriend. Yeah, like who doesn't want friends. I love friends, I livefor friends, I'm always looking to meet new friends.

But, here's my dilemma. Once I agree to be a Facebook friend, I don'tknow the etiquette of what to do next.

My DS set me up with a Facebook page after his wedding so he couldlink me to pictures where I appeared. I'm not exactly sure why he didthis. Was it some sort of misguided act of respect and love? Or wasit some sort of demonic plot to get even with me because I used tomake him write thank you notes. Either way, this seemed like a simpleand non-threatening act. I could deal with this.

Then, all of a sudden, I started getting requests from distantrelatives who want to be my friend. No joke. One of Howie's cousin'sdaughter wanted to be my friend. The last time I saw her, she was 5years old. She's now married and has two children of her own. Thisis spooky on many levels. First, where did all those years go?Second, how come now, after all these years, she wants to be myfriend? Third, after I became her friend, I never heard from heragain. What's up with that? I'm sure she's a lovely young woman, butI'm thinking now do I have to invite her for Passover Dinner? ShouldI send her kids Chanukah presents? Next time she's sick, do I sendher chicken soup even though she lives 800 miles away? All thisconfuses me. I'm not sure I'm really prepared for 21st Centurycommunications.

So, I'm thinking that getting Facebook friends is like getting meritbadges. Whoever has the most Facebook friends, wins.

Then, I started getting invited to be friends with my son's friends.OK, I admit, some of them I know casually, and some of them I've knownfor 20 years. But why would these young men want to be my friend? Iask you, is this like a 2008 remake of The Graduate and am I Mrs.Robinson?

And finally, something happens that makes sense to me. My wonderful,real friends from this group have been inviting me to be friends withthem. This I can understand. Each invitation flatters me. Yes,someone wants to be my friend and I really want to be their friend. AsI said before, I love friends. I love feeling wanted.

So, now that we're all Facebook friends what do I do next? I neverremember to go to Facebook unless I have to go to agree to be afriend. Then I get there and I'm overwhelmed with the number ofmessages, pokes, invitations, requests and G-d only know what else ison my page. Am I supposed to respond to these? If I don't respond,will you stop being my friend? Are you going to reject me? You knowI can't deal with rejection.

HELP! Will someone please clue me into what I'm supposed to be doing.Is there a Facebook Rules of Appropriate Etiquette?

Altered Couture Magazine

I am primarily a fiber artist: a weaver, a dyer of cloth, creator of altered cloth books and art, and a designer of garments and accessories. I have a studio in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California where I immerse myself in projects and gaze out over the hills to the Monterey Bay. I write a little poetry from time to time and songs too. I have a great family, two sons, a husband, and joint custody of 2 cats, Moo and Ducky.